


The Floor Is Lava

by singingwithoutwords



Series: It's All Fun and Games (Until Someone Falls in Love) [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: (how do i tag things that aren't angsty guys), Alternate Universe - No Powers, Fluff, Tony Stark is Good With Kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-07 22:29:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17969249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/singingwithoutwords/pseuds/singingwithoutwords
Summary: And it's far from the hottest thing in the room.[square S5 - T'Challa/Black Panther]





	The Floor Is Lava

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this post](http://singingwithoutwords.tumblr.com/post/183104449623) I found floating around on tumblr.

T’Challa could not find Shuri, which didn't bode well.  She was four years old, far too smart for her own good, and prevented from conquering the world only because she was required to take naps.  He liked to know where his little sister was at all times, especially when they had company. Especially when that company was a professional or an expert of any kind.

While T’Challa had every faith in the contractors he’d hired to build their new place of residence in America, he understood that a third party was needed to confirm that everything was up to code.  He just wished there had been a way to have it done while Shuri was otherwise occupied; she could sense adults in need of correction, and being told off by a four-year-old would not make the inspector happy, he was sure.

Finding no sign of Shuri in her rooms, he headed for the back door.  Maybe she was outside and not even aware the inspector was coming today.

And maybe she was outside because she had seen a pig fly by her window.  It was as likely.

As he passed the living room, the sound of giggling caught his attention, and he hurried toward it with a sense of foreboding.

Sure enough, Shuri was in the living room, standing on one of the plush chairs- the one that happened to be T’Challa’s favorite.  Her bodyguard Ayo was also present, perched on the back of the sofa, and there was a strange white man standing on the stone hearth of the fireplace.  He was wearing a tight top that left his arms bare, a heavy tool belt, scuffed boots, and a pair of jeans that could easily be older than Shuri and did nothing to prevent T’Challa from noticing - since he just happened to be turned away from the door T’Challa had entered through - that his ass was a work of art.

Shuri giggled again, making eye contact with T’Challa, and the man looked over his shoulder with a smile that lit up his bright brown eyes.

“Hey,” the man said, turning around fully.  “You must be T’Challa, head of household?”

T’Challa nodded, striding over and holding out a hand.  “Indeed. You would be-?”

“Tony Stark,” he introduced himself, shaking T'Challa's hand.  “I’m your inspector for the day. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Indeed,” T’Challa said, ruthlessly squashing the urge to comment on who else was doing some inspecting.  “I hope Shuri has not been bothering you.”

Tony shook his head, still smiling.  “No, she’s been a big help.” He sounded sincere, and Shuri bounced slightly on the chair. “I’m just about done now.”

“And your verdict?”

“Well,” Tony said, looking down at the tablet in his hand, “I’d _like_ to say everything’s up to code, but your sister has informed me that the floor is, in fact, lava, which - I’m sure I don’t need to tell you - is a pretty serious safety violation.”

Shuri, still standing on his favorite chair - _in her shoes_ \- covered her mouth with both hands, which only partially muffled her giggles.

“Ah,” T’Challa said, fighting not to smile at Tony’s completely deadpan delivery of that ridiculous line. “And aside from the floor being lava?”

“You pass with flying colors,” Tony confirmed.  “It’s pretty impressive that your foundation is containing the lava so well, in fact- my compliments to your builder.”

“Thank you,” T’Challa said.  “I’ll be certain to pass that along.”

Tony nodded, grinning, then turned back to Shuri.  “Think the lava-proof coating is dry?” he asked.

Shuri looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded.  “Yes. It’s safe now.”

Tony stepped off the mantle onto the hardwood floor, tucking his tablet into a pocket on his toolbelt.  Shuri shifted, and Tony, without seeming to think at all, held his arms out for her to leap into.

“Once Shuri and I turn the lava off, I’ll give you a more in-depth report,” Tony promised.  “Apparently there’s a switch. It moves sometimes. We have to find it.”

Okoye was waiting in the hall, so T’Challa just nodded and let them go, attempting not to stare too openly at the view.

Once they were out of sight, Ayo snorted.  “I see that the building is not alone in being inspected,” she commented, paralleling his earlier thoughts, and he groaned.

“Please tell me I was not that obvious, and you only saw because you know me so well,” he begged, dropping into his chair with no regard for the Shuri-sized footprints still on it.

Ayo laughed, without a trace of sympathy.  “I think even Shuri saw. Lucky you were facing his backside at the time.”

“I think I would have fared worse if I weren’t,” T’Challa lamented.  “Eyes like that must be illegal in some way, and even white men cannot be _that_ dense.”

* * *

White men, it turned out, _could_ be that dense.  Shuri was nearly six before T’Challa finally managed to ask Tony out in a way he didn’t manage to misconstrue.

At least Ayo’s laughter was much more sympathetic these days.

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all I have so much headcanon for this one, you don't even know. It may become a full-blown proper au if I'm not careful.


End file.
